Hundreds rally for Israel outside White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of supporters of Israel have declared their support for the Jewish state in a rally outside the White House.

Jewish activists, rabbis and several members of Congress pledged U.S. support before learning that Israel had mounted a ground invasion to stop missile attacks from Gaza.

A parade of speakers rejected any moral equivalence between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers. Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Washington, said, “We Jews, Israel, value life, and Hamas thrives in death.”

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said that when Israelis are attacked, “Their fight is our fight,” and “their enemies are our enemies.”

A small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted anti-Israeli slogans from the sidelines.